The aim of this research is to investigate the electronic properties of natural nucleic acids and their synthetic counterparts using the techniques of ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Such a study is expected to give information about the conformation of these molecules and the forces which maintain their structure, as well as some sequence information. Since the conformation of biological molecules helps determine reactions which they undergo, we expect to learn about the relationship between the conformation of the various nucleic acids and their biological function.